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People Of Faith ‘Zebedee and Salome’

In our People of Faith, articles, we like to present, some of the ordinary people of Bible times. People we often just take a cursory glance at, when we are reading the Bible, but if these people were not behind the scenes, some of the big names might not have come to the fore.

There are many people out there, who are real People of Faith, but are never heard about, but that does not make their faith any less. So this article is about Zebedee and Salome.

Zebedee was the father of the disciples James and John {Mark 3 v 17}. Zebedee had a fishing business, and apparently wealthy, considering that he had servants and apparent connections with the high priest {John 18 v 15}. Not much was said about Zebedee in scripture.

Salome his wife, appears frequently as one of the pious women who followed Jesus.

Zebedee and Salome, were fortunate their two grown sons, James and John worked with Zebedee in the family fishing business. Scripture never tells much about the family, except this that they worked together, so we can assume there was a certain amount of maturity. mutual respect, and the brother were brought up well.

Jesus comes along and changes everything, Jesus calls James and John to follow Him. {Mark 1 v 20}, Apparently it seams , Jesus didn’t ask Zebedee, he just called James and John to follow Him.

In a wonderful response to Jesus’ call. James and John, dropped their nets and followed. Perhaps Zebedee saw, what his sons saw in Jesus, and was happy for them to follow, because he let them go.

In fact following Jesus became a family affair. At some point his wife Salome, became part of the group of women who followed Jesus and supported His ministry {Matthew 27 v 56 and Mark 15 v 40}.

Remembering this was a culture of all-male providers, it would have meant Salome was supporting Jesus, from her husbands earnings. Even though it does not say Zebedee directly followed Jesus, he gave up quite a bit, to support it.

Zebedee was a person of Faith, virtually behind the scenes, and I am sure we all know plenty of people like that.

Zebedee and Salome, brought up their sons well, to recognize truth, and to follow after it. We all can’t be headline acts in following Jesus and many people are happy not to be, but we all can be People Of Faith like Zebedee and Salome, and raise Families of Faith, and support Ministries of Faith.